Dental moistening-pad



(No Model.)

G. W. MELOTTE. DENTAL MOISTENING PAD.

No. 480,471. Patented Aug. 9, 1892.

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U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. MELOTTE, OF ITHAOA, NElV YORK.

DENTAL MOlSTENlNG-PAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,471, dated August 9, 1892.

Application filed April 30, 1892.

T0 60% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. MELorrE, a resident of Ithaca, in the county of Tompkins and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dental Moistening-Pads; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same. a

The invention relates to devices for wetting corundum or emery wheels and other dental tools in the mouth and also adapted to receive fine minerahmetallic, or other particles and at the same time to hold the tongue, lips, or cheeks out of the operators way. Its object is to provide an easily-renewable cleanly porous or fibrous pad and a suitable holder therefor, which shall be concealed within the same so far as practicable; and it consists in the construction hereinafter described and pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of the device. Fig. 2 is a perspective of a holder with a loop-fastening. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a modified form of holder. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Numeral 1 denotes the spring bow of a tweezer-like tool having two parallel pinching members 2 and 3, one of which is preferably widened at its end, as by branches 4,

' and the other provided with a tooth or claw 7.

5 denotes a hook, which may be conveniently stamped out of one of the members, as indicated.

6 denotes a hole in the opposite member, adapted to receive the hook 5. The hole 6 and the tooth 7 are preferably formed in the same member 3, which in use will be the upper one. By pressing the members 2 and 3 together and suitably manipulating the spring the hook can be engaged in the hole 6, and it can be disengaged in similar manner. Other means for holding the members 2 and 3 together may be employedas, for example, a loop 8.

10 indicates a porous fibrous pad made in layers and stitched between covers 11, which may be made of white cotton or linen fabric.

12 denotes seams. For the body of the pad felted cotton, cottonoid, blotting-paper, linten, punk, sponge cut in thin layers, or other like material may be employed. For the outside layers, instead of linen or cotton cloth, leather, buckskin, chamois-skin, or the like may be employed. White material is preferred, as it reflects the light, and a finelywoven fabric is very suitable for the reason that it can be readily cleansed and gold particles easily recovered thererefrom. The entire pad can be made of any one of the materials named or others like them without sacrificing all the advantages of the improvement. The pad or the material of which it is made is sterilized or antiseptically treated before use.

In practice the pad is slipped upon one of the two members of the tool, and then the other is made to embrace its edge, preferably by a claw, as shown, whereby it is prevented from slipping from the holder. The bow or spring is very suitable for the insertion of a finger to hold the device, though it may be held in other ways. The precise form of the spring and of the members 2 and 3 are not essential, so long as the objects of the improvement are secured in substantially the same manner.

I am aware that a piece of sponge held by a spring in a metal cup having a foraminous bottom has been used in dental operations to moisten an emery-wheel and collect particles, as set forth in Patent No. 392,006, granted October 30, 1888, and such device is not of my invention. It is characteristic of the present improvement that the pad entirely covers the end of the metal holder and that it can be very easily applied to and removed from the holder and is held thereon without a special spring or other detachable fastening device. It is also adapted to use an exterior surface with finer interstices than the more absorbent interior, whereby it presents a surface from which gold can be more readily washed.

The pad-holderis characterized by simplicity of construction and by the absence of tubular parts or recesses other than that designed for the hook, whereby its cleanliness is easily secured.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A dental device consisting of a fiat moistening and particle-receiving pad made of parallel layers of porous material secured together, combined with a detachable holder having a widened end fitting between the layers to keep the pad expanded, said pad being adapted to be entirely exposed to the mouth, substantially as set forth.

2. A dental device consisting of a holder having two members and a porous pad consisting of layers and open at one edge to re ceive one of said members, the opposite one being provided with a holding-tooth, substan' tially as set forth.

3. In combination Withaporous pad adapted to act as a sponge and receive filings, a holder consisting of two members 2 and 3,

connected by a spring-bow, one member being slotted and the other provided with a hook, the construction being such that a member can be moved lengthwise by com- 20 In testimony whereof I have signed this 25 specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE W. MELOTTE.

Witn esses:

M. VAN CLEEF, WM. HAZLITT SMITH. 

